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Caption

White-spotted pufferfish (Arothron hispidus). This fish lives around coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, feeding on algae, plants and invertebrates. Pufferfish are able to inflate themselves when annoyed or threatened. This eponymous talent causes spines that normally lie flat against the skin to radiate outwards, giving the fish the appearance of a spiky ball. All pufferfish are highly toxic, containing the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin. This toxin is probably the most potent known to man, causing death in humans within 4-6 hours. Photographed off Djibouti in the Red Sea.